Looks like panic has set in

With the announcement that Republican Walt Havenstein will seek to challenge Maggie Hassan for the governor’s chair only hours old, Democratic pit bull and party chair Ray Buckley let lose.

He accused Republicans of allowing big money interests from Washington and other nether regions of the country to pick their gubernatorial candidate.

Ordinarily, it is wise politics to not level charges that can come back to bite you in the tookus. Party chair Buckley should know this and know better.

Case in point is his party’s very own U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen.

As has been widely reported, this darling of the Democratic Party recently spent time fundraising in California.

Questions have also been raised about the financial support Shaheen has been getting from another outside source: Wall Street.

According to Opensecrets.org, as reported by the Union Leader newspaper, the No. 5 industry contributor to Jeanne Shaheen since 1989 is “securities and investments.” That is: Wall Street. The donors who give Shaheen $25 or $50 after she stokes their fear of “Wall Street” influence probably don’t know that she happily takes so much Wall Street cash.

Truth be told, we are not particularly upset that Havenstein, Shaheen or any other candidate for statewide office is looking for financial support from out of state. In a perfect world that might not need to be the case. But there is this little thing called the First Amendment and U.S. Supreme Court rulings galore that point out the connection between money and free speech.

However, what is a bit gnawing is the hypocrisy promoted by the likes of Buckley in criticizing Republicans for what his fellow Democrats also practice.

Of course, we’ve never thought highly of Buckley as Democratic Party chair. He is a poor substitute for the predecessor, Kathy Sullivan, who molded the party into the fighting machine it is today. By comparison, he is nothing more than a placeholder until the party again falls into disrepair.

But, as readers know, we lean to the right. As a result, it is no surprise Buckley is not on our party invitation list (although he is welcome to come in for an editorial board meeting, as is Shaheen).

What should concern all Democrats, however, is the incivility Buckley is helping to foster.

How can Sen. Shaheen, as a member of the party faithful, campaign on a platform of bipartisan cooperation while Buckley trashes the notion on almost a daily basis?

Of course, we know the answer. Buckley is running scared that his Democratic kingdom is beginning to crumble. A bipartisan New Hampshire Legislature has been getting things accomplished. That only strengthens the notion Republicans will hold onto the state Senate in 2014 and may make inroads over in the House.

Nationally, it looks as if the Democrats are preparing for a political butt kicking that even well-connected New Hampshire Democrats admit could unseat Shaheen. Then there’s the precipice over which Democratic U.S. Reps. Carol Shea-Porter and Annie Kuster are looking

As for Havenstein, the former president and CEO of BAE Systems Inc. out of Nashua, is looking like a Republican version for four-term Democratic Gov. John Lynch — friendly and knowledgeable.

It’s no wonder there is panic in the board room of state Democratic Party headquarters.